Paladins' Heart (Lance)
by TheLadyMuse
Summary: Returning to Earth after the events of (the as yet unposted Here There Be Monsters), Lance reunites with his family, learning that his teammate already knew what family meant. *While the other Paladins do the same, this is Lance-centric and one part of a larger series.


**Totally hyper for this guys! I think it's an original concept too! Anyway, this is for** Flynggrayson **, who prompted me. The way this series is gonna work is that the Universe is Here there be monsters (for which a monster fic will release eventually) and the title that comes after the dash will tell you where it comes in. I don't have a whole outline yet, but yeah. Just, look at the tags and you'll be fine.**

Returning to Earth is strange. Despite the fact that he is still the Blue Paladin, they have Shiro back and all of Team Voltron is going to Earth to visit with their families, it's strange, Lance thinks.

Because yes, Team Voltron has been united, but Sam and Matt Holt and the Blade of Marmora are with them. Keith, it had turned out, was the son of the rightful princess of the Galran people and a Blade of Marmora, and so he had commanded Kolivan to hold the fort while he remained with Voltron.

Several Blades had volunteered to protect the Crimson Paladin, and once upon a time, Lance would have been jealous. Jealous of the attention Keith was receiving, of his talent, his friendship with Shiro, of his ease with the others. But it was different now. Keith ruled a galactic Empire, and had practically begged the members of Voltron to help him retain his humanity.

Shiro had needed no prompting to help his old friend. Allura and Coran had been grateful for the chance to regroup. Pidge wanted to return her father and brother to Earth before she took up her duties on Team Voltron again.

So, to meet the goal of Keith retaining his humanity, they were headed for Earth. In fact, Keith had requested they remain in orbit and use the gliders to visit their families. He didn't want his Blades caught up in the fires of prejudice.

"Earth isn't ready." Were the firm words of the newly crowned Crimson Emperor.

Still, Lance felt wary of visiting his family. Pidge had hacked the Net last night and discovered that while Keith and Shiro weren't mentioned, an article about her, Hunk and Lance running away from the Garrison had been published. Pidge had set her mouth in a frown, not relaxing until Shiro's hand landed on her shoulder and he murmured

"It'll be alright Katie." She sighed but didn't contradict him.

Shaking his head, Lance piloted his Galran war cruiser to an unused lot near his family's Varadero home. Thankfully, part of Pidge's Net searching had entailed finding their families, so Lance knew his parents, Len and Gloria, and his younger sister Amira all still lived in the house he grew up in. Ensuring it was well cloaked in the image of a pair of beat up cars, he slipped out, checked the tailored pants and short tunic combo the Imperial tailors had pressed on him were in place, and strode off.

The human items shops at the Unilu sale hubs had been scoured for specific sets of sunglasses. Keith and Lance had Aviators, Shiro a pair of Hugo Boss, Hunk pair of Givenchy and Pidge had Prada snakeskin green sunglasses. Perhaps Keith should have had the Boss or Givenchy shades, but he'd decided he looked better in Aviators.

As for why they wanted them, well, it would make walking up to their families easier. Except Keith, though Shiro had sworn he'd be dragging the younger man to see his family, who'd known Keith before Kerberos happened.

So, there was Lance McClain walking the streets of his home town, and it didn't look like it. He had more muscle, more confidence, more weariness, and his eyes were hidden. The well cut black pants and ankle boots were paired with a blue tunic that matched his lion. Normally, while they were off duty in the Galra court, the Paladins wore waist length capes. Lance was glad he'd had the foresight to request a tactical jacket from the tailors. It wasn't that he didn't like the cape, or his real off-duty Voltron uniform- an all black affair with a blue lined cape and blue stripe on his chest- it just wasn't practical for a visit home.

Debating on ringing the doorbell as he strode up the walk, Lance was surprised when the door opened and his grandmother exited the family home.

"Grandmother? Is something wrong?" It was reflexive. It was a normal question. But when he pulled off his shades to eye his grandmother Rosita with concern, he proved to her beyond a doubt that, despite his rapidly aged eyes, this was her grandson. Rosita's own eyes widened, before she grasped his wrist and towed him into the house, bellowing in Spanish. Because he'd spent so long learning the different Galran and Altean dialects, Lance was a little rusty with his mother tongue, so it took a moment for his grandmothers' words to register. By the time he had, he'd been swamped with relatives who wanted to know what was going on.

Carefully, Lance explained what he could, wincing when his younger sister and their cousins clamoured for the chance to ride in the Blue Lion. Flinching when his mother spoke about getting his room in order, he apologized and explained that his team expected him back tonight to conference with each other, in order to plan the next steps, and he wasn't entirely sure if he had time for a longer visit.

He left a few hours later, heartsore and ears ringing with pleas to return.

Stopping in to visit Blue, Lance tensed when he realized Pikolo, a young Blade, was standing in front of his Lion. Inclining his head in an imitation of Keith's 'I'm listening' pose that always got the Blades to speak, Lance listened as Pikolo informed him that the Emperor was requesting the other Paladins attend a conference before returning to their families.

With a sigh and wave of his hand, he dismissed the Blade and returned to the conference room that he'd left yesterday. Keith was standing at the front of the room, pacing. Once Lance, and Hunk, had entered the room, he began speaking

"While the Empire has a lot of work to do and Voltron can help with that, I cannot ask you to do so without the most basic of luxuries-having your family around. In exchange for any family members who wish to accompany you, I will ensure there is a separate residence in the Capital for each family in addition to your apartments in the family wing of the palace."

Keith walked out, calling for one of his attendants to get him through to Kolivan, and Lance feels the joy bubbling in his gut. Every one of them knows Keith is well aware of the value of family. His sister Kerry had only recently been found, but she'd sacrificed so much to bring down Haggar, had ensured that their families knew what had happened. She hadn't told them of the pain, still spent most days bedridden, that the public would have feared for the life of their rightful princess if not for their Emperor having her carried everywhere she needed to be.

The next day, Lance took the cruiser back to Earth, informed his family that his Emperor-teammate had offered them a home in the heart of his Empire, where they could live and work and play while Lance fulfilled his duty to Voltron.

He was only a little surprised when they accepted, having already prepared after Kerry Kogane's message promised she would do everything in her power to convince her brother that it was safe, was necessary. It took two weeks to move all the Paladins families, but Lance knew it was worth it.


End file.
